Chasing Lions
by johngaltisdead
Summary: Tom Riddle discovers that he is currently attending Hogwarts alongside the heir of Godric Gryffindor and he makes it his mission to use her to obtain an heirloom for one of his horcruxes
1. Chapter 1

"Are you sure you remembered everything?" Delaney's mother asked for the fifteenth time that morning.

"YES, mum, I already checked and double checked my trunk this morning." she replied, stepping out of reach of the handkerchief her mother was trying to scrub her face with.

"I know, but you say that every year and every year you end up forgetting something" the persistent woman countered, making another attempt at getting a hold of her daughter's face.

"Mum, I have everything." Delaney stated, yet again side stepping the handkerchief.

"Are you sure? Your toothbrush? Your broom? Those socks I bought you on Wednesday?" her mother questioned after finally grabbing her chin, "and would you stay still, you have an ink smudge on your cheek."

"MUM. I have everything." The frustrated teen shouted, wrenching out of her mother's grip.

"Eleanor, please, give it a rest. If she forgot anything we can just owl it to her. And for Merlin's sake, Delaney, how did you manage to get ink all over your face, you only just rolled out of bed an hour ago." Her father's eyes twinkled with amusement as he watched the continuing struggle.

"I don't know! It just happens. I don't even remember using a quill this morning." she pouted.

He took his large gold pocket watch out and gave it a quick glance. "It's almost eleven, the train will be leaving soon. Where on earth are your friends?"

"Bailey is probably up at the front of the train with the other prefects and Nicole is most likely tucked away in a corner reading." she replied, scanning the crowd for either of them.

"Do give them our love and tell them we're sorry we missed them on the platform," her mother said, turning to her daughter.

"And stay out of trouble, the lot of you," Delaney glanced up just in time to see her dad wink. He knew the three friends got up to mischief. He also knew that it was never anything too serious or malicious and that they were smart enough to not get caught, so he didn't particularly mind any of it. Her mother swooped in for one last hug before she boarded the train.

"Have a good semester, kiddo." her father said, extending his hand. She shook it with an obnoxious amount of formality, but could only hold back her grin for so long before throwing her arms around her father's neck and hugged him.

"Bye Mum, bye Da, I'll write when I'm all settled!" she called over her shoulder while bounding toward the train, jumping on board just as the wheels lurched forward. She walked towards the back of the train and peered through windows looking for Nicole. Bailey would be a while before joining them, so Delaney knew there was no use in looking for her. She had only made it past three compartments when she felt a hand grab her wrist and spin her around.

"And where do you think you're going?" an amused voice drawled.

"Hogwarts," she mockingly answered the tall boy now standing before her.

He narrowed his eyes at the girl as she attempted to feign innocence. "Clearly. But I think we're going to have to make a brief detour before we get there," he smirked. He then raised his eyebrows and cocked his head towards the loo at the end of the train.

"Hopefully not too brief," she countered with a grin.

He quickly glanced over his shoulder and grabbed her hand, practically dragging her along with him. She managed to catch a glimpse of Nicole sitting in one of the compartments on the way back and tried to make a mental note of where to find her once she was less preoccupied.

They reached the bathroom and the tall boy playfully shoved her inside, looking over his shoulder once more to make sure the coast was clear before joining her. Delaney wrapped her arms around his neck and stood up on her toes to press her lips to his mouth. His hands found her waist and slid down, quickly squeezing her arse before continuing on to the backs of her thighs, which he lifted up, helping to bridge the large gap between their heights. She wrapped her legs around his waist and ran her fingers up into his auburn locks, messing up his once neatly styled hair.

He deepened the kiss and slid his tongue into her mouth, causing a moan to escape from her throat. Setting her on the sink counter, he began to slide his hands up her skirt, where he found the hem of her knickers and slowly began to slide them down.

"Not on the train," she mumbled, stopping his hand with her own and pressing her mouth against his again. She could feel the frown of his lips against her own. He sighed and kissed the nape of her neck.

"After the sorting ceremony?" his deep brown eyes questioned her green ones and she nodded before responding "After the sorting ceremony."

He helped her down off the counter and poked his head out the door, making sure the corridor was empty. "I'll see you later, then," he said as he stepped out of the loo, shutting the door behind him.

Delaney sighed and turned towards the mirror. Her hair would definitely need to be re-tamed and her face was still flushed. She spent a few minutes running her fingers through her honey blonde hair in an attempt to brush it out. Once her hair was managed and the pink tinge had receded from her pale cheeks she straightened her clothes before opening the door and stepping out.

Trying to remember which compartment she had seen Nicole in, she made her way down the train. Suddenly the door to the compartment in front of her opened and a tall figure rushed out almost knocking her over. The figure caught her waist and steadied her.

"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't see you there," Tom Riddle's pearly white teeth flashed into an uncertain smile as his deep blue eyes studied Delaney. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she stated bluntly as she pulled away from him. Something about his eyes set her on edge. They always had. It was like he was trying to look past her eyes and into her mind. Like he was trying to read her as though she were nothing more than a book.

"I'd better get going, I'm supposed to be patrolling the corridors," he said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, right, you're a prefect." She replied, motioning towards the shiny badge pinned to his chest.

He nodded and gave her one more cautious smile before turning and hurrying down the corridor. Watching him go, she noted his tall frame, broad shoulders, and lithe build, all crowned with that thick, dark, perfectly parted crown of hair. He was quite attractive, really, but something about him had always seemed off to Delaney, though she seemed to be the only one to ever get that vibe from him.

She shook her head and continued on down the train until she finally reached her friend's compartment.


	2. Chapter 2

"Where the hell have you been?" Nicole jokingly demanded, setting her book down and crossing her arms, giving her friend what was supposed to be a menacing glare.

"Well, I was coming to find you, but then I….got sidetracked," Delaney replied.

"Oh? And how is Simon doing?" Nicole asked.

"He's good," Delaney replied, not making eye contact with her friend.

Nicole's eyes narrowed and she asked "Did you two even talk?" This question caused Delaney's face to flush red before she responded with an unintelligible mumble.

"Sorry, didn't catch that, though I don't think I even needed to. It must be pretty pointless to even attempt a conversation when another person's tongue is jammed down your throat." Nicole quipped.

"You're being unfair," Delaney sighed as she flopped down on the seat across from Nicole.

"I'm being unfair? You're being stupid. Why are you still with the git, anyway? You know he's a prat and that he's just using you." Nicole's glare became real as she spoke.

"What the bloody hell is your problem?" Delaney demanded, leaping up from her briefly occupied seat.

Nicole took a breath before stating "My problem is that I have spent the last year trying to find a nice way to help you see sense and my patience has all but run out. You're too smart to keep letting him do this to you."

"Do what to me, exactly?" Delaney couldn't have hidden the acidic tone of her voice if she had wanted to.

"When was the last time he took you on an actual date and not just to a broom cupboard?" Nicole questioned. When her only response was the deepening scowl on Delaney's face, she continued, "When was the last time he talked to you when his friends were around? How many times has he copied your homework or had you check his for him? Do you even have conversations?"

"You don't get it. You're biased against him and you see nothing but the bad."

"Fine, if that's what you want to think. I won't concern myself with it anymore, just don't expect any sympathy when you finally see him for what he really is. I don't know what the Sorting Hat was thinking when it put him into Hufflepuff. It should have put him into Slytherin." Nicole sighed.

"Right. Good to know your opinion. I'll see you up at the castle." Delaney replied curtly before turning on her heel and storming out of the compartment and right into Tom Riddle, knocking him onto the floor.

"Bloody hell!" He shouted, his normal composure briefly slipping away as he was caught off guard by the impact. Delaney looked down at him, shocked by his uncharacteristic outburst. Tom quickly schooled his expression into one of calm amusement. "Thank Merlin they don't let students play as bludgers. You would single handedly end Slytherin's winning streak against Gryffindor," he laughed.

"I didn't do it on purpose," she scowled.

"I know that, although I suppose we're even now, though I don't recall bumping into you with that much force or you catching me before I fell," he grinned from the floor.

"If I had tried to catch you we would both be sitting on our arses right now," she replied.

"Are you calling me fat?" he asked in mock offense.

"What? No, you're not fat, but you've still got at least 50 pounds on me, not to mention you're at least a foot taller. That'd be like expecting Flitwick to catch a falling Dumbledore." Tom's eyes darkened slightly at the mention of Dumbledore.

"Yes, I don't imagine Flitwick would come out of that attempt fully intact." He frowned. "So are you going to help me up or not?"

Delaney rolled her eyes and held out her hand to the prefect, helping him up off the floor.

"So, why were you in such a huff coming out of that compartment?" He inquired now that the ice seemed to have been broken.

"Oh. I…uh…got into a bit of a spat with my friend," she blushed.

"Over what, if I may ask?" the calculating look in his eyes was completely missed by Delaney who appeared to be examining the carpet of the corridor.

"Oh, we just don't see eye to eye sometimes," she answered, hoping he would drop the subject.

"I see. Well, if you ever want an objective perspective or even just someone to vent to, you can always come to me, Delaney," he offered with the most sincere expression he could muster on his face.

"You know my name?" she asked, baffled that the attractive Slytherin –who seemed oblivious to girls in general- had not only noticed her, but remembered her name.

"We've had several classes together," he shrugged.

"But we're in different houses-houses that aren't exactly amicable towards one another. And, and we've never actually spoken before today have we?" she replied.

"Yes, that may be so, but it would be difficult to not know who you are, especially after the spectacular explosion you caused in potions last year," he laughed.

"That was not my fault!" she yelled indignantly "Charlus Potter dropped an entire jar's worth of bubotuber pus into my cauldron when I wasn't looking!"

"Either way it came out of your cauldron, so you're the one we remember for it," he answered.

"We? Who is we?" she questioned, eyes narrowed.

"Hmmm?"

"You said 'we remember.' Who is we?" she repeated.

"The sixth year Slytherins," he stated as though this were obvious.

"WHAT? You ALL remember that?" her eyes widened in horror at this.

"Well, yeah, it's not like we could easily forget it when it took two months for Slughorn's eyebrows and mustache to grow back in. It was a bit of a constant reminder," he laughed at the growing look of horror on her face. She was standing there, mouth agape, when a voice called out from behind them.

"Delaney! There you are. Nicole said you still hadn't shown up when I checked in on her. We were afraid you'd missed the train," Bailey smiled as she walked up beside the two, "Tom, long time no see," she joked.

"Yes, it has been quite a while. What, almost twenty minutes?" He grinned at the slender brunette. Her checks tinged a light pink under his gaze.

"I guess I should be thankful that I keep running into you and not Mildred. I don't think she likes me very much," Bailey frowned.

"Oh, Millie is just a bit of an introvert," he replied.

Delaney snorted, "Is that the nice way of saying she doesn't like anyone?"

Tom looked taken aback, but then laughed and Bailey quickly joined in.

"Well, Tom, it's always a pleasure to see you, but we have some catching up to do with Nicole," Bailey smiled.

"Likewise, and I myself have to find Abraxus. He's supposed to be lending me a book that I cannot wait to read," he replied before turning to Delaney, "Do try not to assault anyone else when you're done catching up," he smirked. He then nodded to the two of them before walking past them towards the other end of the train.

"What was that about?" Bailey questioned her friend.

"What? OH, that. I may have gotten into a bit of a fight with Nicole earlier," Delaney replied sheepishly.

"You assaulted Nicole?" Bailey shouted in shock.

"No! Of course not. I assaulted Tom," she replied.

"WHAT?" Bailey's voice continued to rise in volume and pitch.

"I didn't actually assault him. I was just in a hurry when I left the compartment and I may have bumped into him and he may have fallen down, but it wasn't intentional and I did help him up,"

"Right. So that explains why you were talking to him in the first place. What exactly did you and Nicole fight about anyway?" Bailey asked.

"Simon," was all Delaney had to say.

Bailey nodded and walked a few steps back to where Nicole's compartment was. She slid the door open, "In you go," she gestured and Delaney entered. Bailey followed behind her and slid the door shut.

"Right. Now I know the two of you had a fight, but I don't want to talk about that right now. So instead we are going to have a proper catching up for the rest of the ride. Then we are going to be chipper and welcoming towards all the new Gryffindors, eat as much food as possible without making ourselves sick, and then go up to our room discuss what happened earlier there. Got it?" she stared Delaney and Nicole down, challenging either of them to argue with her commands. She was met with nods and averted eyes.

"Oh, and Delaney," she continued, "You're not to go sneaking off to meet with him tonight."

Delaney's head snapped up. "How did you know about that?"

"I didn't, but I know you, and I'm not joking when I say that if you do I will know and I will make sure both of you are punished for it," Bailey calmly stated.

Delaney's shoulders slumped, but she nodded her head in understanding. Bailey hugged her and said "We'll talk later. But for now, I want to hear all about how Nicole's Great Aunt Gertrude handled the nude beaches of France this summer."

Delaney laughed at this and said "Tell me you didn't take her to one."

"It wasn't intentional! We went to a regular beach that happened to be next to a nude beach and she wandered off. We spent half an hour looking for her and by the time we found her she was surrounded by these hairy men who had the tiniest penises." Nicole responded. The three of them roared with laughter as the stories of Great Aunt Gertrude became more and more ridiculous.

Delaney let herself get swept up in the happy mood that was now emanating throughout the compartment, but she couldn't fully squash the dread she felt towards the upcoming group discussion.


	3. Chapter 3

Tom walked back towards the compartment that Abraxas and the other sixth year Slytherins were occupying. He had been waiting all summer to get his hands on the book that would be waiting for him there. He just needed to make sure he played down his excitement. Slytherins were cunning, and quick to question interest shown in anything they thought insignificant.

He reached the compartment and gracefully ducked inside, and in one fell swoop was seated nonchalantly in the only available seat.

"Tom, there you are," Abraxas smiled lazily from his seat next to the window, "We were starting to think you had forsaken us for more enjoyable company." He smirked at this last part.

"Nonsense, Abraxas! Who could possibly be better company than us?" giggled a shrill voice sitting across from him.

"Ah, Druella, lovely to see you again," Tom grinned at the blonde, who proceeded to giggle in response.

"Brushing off the question, I see," a sullen voice spoke from next to Druella.

"I don't know what you mean Cygnus. I don't recall being asked a question," was Tom's subtly curt reply.

"Who could possibly be better company than us?" the dark haired boy repeated Druella's question.

"I believe that question was directed at Abraxas, and that it was meant in a rhetorical nature. However, if you would care to inquire into my whereabouts, I don't see why they would be of interest to you, considering the menial nature of prefects duties. Nor do I see how they would be any of your business, to be perfectly frank," Tom's response left an icy chill in the air.

"I was merely curious as to what use you would have for a bumbling Gryffindor slag," came Cygnus' equally cold reply.

Tom was briefly left speechless at this statement and the confusion showed on his face. "Bumbling Gryffindor slag? I don't recall interacting with a bumbling Gryffindor slag." He stated, wondering who on earth Cygnus was referring to.

"That Blair girl. Delaney Blair," Cygnus replied, attempting to sound nonchalant.

"Gryffindor, yes. Bumbling, after this afternoon I wouldn't doubt it. But slag I did not know,"

At this Druella decided to chime in, apparently having found her niche in the conversation. "Ohh, but how could you not? Everyone knows she goes around with that Richards boy, but no one has ever seen them together at Hogsmeade or any of the balls," At this news Tom frowned.

"I did not know that, but I must admit I am disappointed that you think I would care. I should hope her reputation has not lead you to believe that our 'interaction' from earlier was anything of that nature."

"Well then you won't mind if I take a crack at her once Richards is out of the picture," Alphard joked, "Or maybe even while he's in the picture. I have yet to steal someone's bird, and I wouldn't mind starting out with one of that quality." He finished with a wolfish grin on his face.

Tom ignored Alphard's comment, but Cygnus threw him a glare before continuing on with the conversation. "I cannot pretend that I am not curious as to what the nature of it was, then," he caught Tom's quirked eyebrow at his continued questioning and quickly added "My Lord" onto the end of his statement.

"The nature of our interaction was merely her quite spot on imitation of a bludger," the mood of the compartment lifted significantly at Tom's joke. "You see, I had just finished my prefect rounds and was headed to this very compartment when she came barreling out of her own and literally knocked me on my arse. I had no idea someone so small could carry that much force in their movements," Tom grinned at this as his companions laughed, more so from the relieved tension than from the humor of the story.

"Oh Tom, do go on! What did she do? What did you do? I would have hexed her all the way back to Kings Cross!" Druella trilled.

Tom winced inwardly at her voice, but carried on with his story. "Well, at first she stood there gawking at me, so I made a joke about her playing the position of bludger for the Gryffindor team. And do you know what she did?" he asked his housemates, all who shook their head 'no' "She scowled at me! Said she didn't do it on purpose. I tried to lighten her mood by making some other jokes but she refused to even smile at me." Druella seemed particularly appalled at the thought of someone not finding Tom charming and humorous, but he let the look of horror on her face go unnoticed. "So I finally asked her whether or not she was going to help me up, and she rolled her eyes at me!"

"The impudent slag!" Druella exclaimed.

"I thought it was rather amusing," Tom responded coolly. "It's not often that I can't charm someone as simpleminded as a Gryffindor. To be honest, I'm rather intrigued by it."

"Intrigued? By that slag?" Druella continued, her pitch increasing all the while.

"She can't be that much of a slag if she only goes around with Richards. Although it does point to some poor taste on her part. Besides, she's technically half Slytherin, so she can't be that simpleminded," Alphard cut in.

"Any girl who goes around with even one boy"

"Druella, do give it a rest," Alphard cut her off, yet again.

"Half Slytherin, you say?" Tom addressed Alphard for the first time that day.

"Mmm, yup. Her mum was in Slytherin. Our mums are actually good friends. I'm surprised Cygnus didn't remember this, but then she doesn't go by her mum's name, does she? No, she's a Blair, but her mum is a Burke," Alphard continued, leaning back against his seat.

"Burke. As in Borgin & Burke?" Tom asked, piecing information together in his head.

"The very same. The Burke who works their now is Eleanor's, that's her mum's name, younger brother. But he's not married, and obviously no kids, so the Burke inheritance will go to Blair. Not that she needs it. Her father comes from a very old, very wealthy line." Alphard continued

"So she's a pureblood, I take it?" Tom tapped his long fingers against his lips as he took in the information.

"Very pure blood. The Burkes date back almost as far as the Blacks and the Blair line is the conglomeration of several other very important bloodlines, all of which have been without a directly named heir for a very long time. Extinct, I guess you would say." Alphard answered.

"But the blood is not extinct. The blood of all those families runs in her veins," Tom was leaning forward in his seat now, unable to hide the interest in his face.

"The veins of a slag," Druella muttered, disheartened that the attention was stolen away from her by a girl who wasn't even present.

"Which families? Do you know?" he asked Alphard

"A few of them, yeah. Her grandmother was the last of the Bonhams. There's also the Wenlocks, and the Barkwiths, and of course, the Gryffindors." Alphard responded, ticking the names off on his fingers.

"The Gryffindors? As in Godric?" Tom's face became a blank mask at this. He was determined not to let his interest give too much away about his train of thought.

"The very same. Like I said, very old. Very wealthy." Alphard nodded slowly.

"How do you know all of this?" Riddle inquired, causing Alphard to blush.

"Er, well, my mum tried to have her betrothed to me. Her mum was all for it, but her father was less than pleased. Wants her to make her own decisions in regards to marriage." Alpard shrugged.

"I was not aware of that," Cygnus commented.

"Er, yeah, well, it was all kept very quiet. I don't think she ever knew. If she did she never let on." He shrugged again, signifying the end of the topic.

"So she's a descendent of Gryffindor?" Tom continued, picking up the part of the conversation that had peaked his interest.

"The last." Was Alphard's reply.

"That's interesting. With a bloodline like that, she could be very useful to our cause," Tom refrained from elaborating on the exact use he had in mind for her, and chose this time to swing the focus of the conversation away from the topic that left his mind racing. "Speaking of our cause, Abraxas, I trust you have the book I requested?"

"Yes, My Lord, it's in my trunk. Would you like it now?" Abraxas answered, glad to finally be of some importance in the compartment.

"Now? Let's not be so hasty, Abraxas. We are nearing Hogwarts, and how do you think it would look for the Slytherin prefect to step out onto the platform carrying a book of magic so dark it can't even be found in the restricted section of the library?" Tom scoffed at the pale boy. "Ah, I believe the train is slowing. If you don't mind, I'll be off to finish my patrol before we stop. I will see you all up at the castle." Tom stood and inclined his head towards his fellow Slytherins before sliding out of the door, a smirk on his lips and his mind full of ideas.


	4. Chapter 4

The Hogwarts Express pulled to a stop at the Hogsmeade Station. Students were swarming off the train, with firstyears milling about in confusion, their eyes wide with fear and excitement.

"First years this way," wheezed a voice barely audible over the crowd.

"First years this way," shouted a tall boy with hair as dark as the night sky above them. Tom Riddle plastered his most winning smile on his face and helped usher the new students towards the wizened caretaker.

"Thank you, Tom, you're always such a helpful boy," the caretaker beamed up at him, showing a mouth full of rotting teeth.

"Not a problem, sir. After all, it is my job now," Tom joked lightly and pointed at the badge gleaming under the light of the caretaker's lantern.

"Well they couldn't have picked a better boy for the job," the caretaker continued, then turned to lead the firstyears to the dock.

"Boy indeed," Tom muttered darkly, irritated by the caretaker's continuous use of the word. Who was he to call Tom a boy? He was nothing but an old servant, a squib nonetheless, while Tom had the blood of Salazar Slytherin pumping through his veins. Tom could kill him with the flick of his wand. He could make the old man kill himself in whatever way he wanted. He could make him writhe and scream in pain until he finally begged to have his life ended. Tom smirked at these thoughts and quickly scanned the crowd, looking for his housemates. His tall stature let him see over the other students with ease.

He spotted a group of three girls headed towards the carriages. One was tall and had a dark blonde bob. She walked with her shoulders hunched forward. Next to her was a slender brunette of medium build. They were following a smaller girl with golden hair who appeared to be navigating the swarm of students with ease. She darted through gaps and slid between bodies thanks to her small frame. Tom was captivated by her. She was almost dancing through the crowd. Like a little bird flitting between the branches of a tree. She stopped and looked over her shoulder for her friends, then her head tilted up and her eyes locked on his.

She quirked her eyebrow at him, confusion showing on her face. He smirked in response, causing her to roll her eyes and turn back towards her friends who had finally caught up to her.

"Tom! There you are!" trilled a voice close behind him.

He turned to see Druella's simpering smile. "I seem to have lost the others," she giggled. "I'm so glad to have found you, now I will at least have decent company on the ride up to the castle," she fluttered her eyelashes and linked her arm through his, "Shall we?"

"If we must," he replied evenly, his smile barely pulling up the corners of his mouth. He looked up to scan the crowd again, but to no avail. She was already out of sight.

Druella pulled him towards the nearest carriage and he helped her into it. They were joined by two seventh year Ravenclaws and as soon as the door shut behind them the carriage began to pull forward.

The Ravenclaws sat in silence, one with a book open and her wand lit above allowing her to read, and the other staring dreamily out the window.

"So, Tom, when do you think Slughorn's first party will be?" Druella asked, her eyes locked on the boy next to her.

"I don't know," was his curt reply.

"Do you think maybe this year he'll ask me to join the Slug Club?" she continued, attempting to make any sort of conversation with Tom.

"I don't know," he said through his teeth.

"It's just that" she began before he cut her off with a lie about a headache.

"Oh, I had no idea! You didn't look like you were in pain, although you almost never do. You must be very strong," she said, inching closer to him.

Tom could feel his even temper slipping away, when, to his relief, the carriage stopped. He was the first one out of the carriage. He helped the others out and when Druella tried to latch on to his arm again he brushed her off under the pretext of prefect duties. He quickly left her behind and maneuvered his way through the crowd.

Then he saw it. The golden head of hair was merely feet in front of him, but her friends were nowhere to be seen. He made his way through the crowd and stood behind her.

"Good evening Miss Blair," he said, his head bent down next to hers.

"Oh! How long have you been standing there?" she asked, surprised by his sudden appearance.

"Not too long. You?" he responded easily, hands clasped behind his back.

"Few minutes. I lost Bailey and Nicole in the crowd. Can you see them?" she replied, absentmindedly searching the mass of students.

Tom looked through the crowd, but was also unable to locate the two. "I can't see them either. Maybe they already went inside," he suggested.

"Maybe," she replied. "Hey, why were you staring at me earlier?"

"Hmmm?" was his reply

"On the platform. You were staring at me," Delaney repeated

"I was amused by the way you work through large crowds. Forget what I said about you being a bludger earlier. If anything, you are a snitch the way you flit about," he casually answered.

"A snitch?" she quirked an eyebrow at this

"Mmmhmmm. A snitch. Small, golden, agile, and the last I heard you were on the receiving end of quite a bit of attention," he smirked

"Attention? What are you talking about?" she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, hoping he wasn't referencing what she thought he was.

"Well, from where I'm standing I can see at least three boys who have their eyes on you," Tom's smirk became a grin.

She quickly whipped her head around and instantly locked eyes with Simon. His face was stony and his eyes flicked from her to Tom before he turned back to his friends and headed into the castle. Delaney could feel the blush creeping up her neck and onto her face.

"You're blushing," Tom stated bluntly.

"Wh-what?" she replied, turning back to him.

"You're blushing," he repeated. "Were you that unaware of your popularity or just embarrassed to have caught one of them staring at you?"

"I, um, we should be heading inside for the sorting," she attempted to change the subject.

Tom chuckled, his eyes focused on the back of Simon's head. "Yes, let's go, your friends are probably wondering where you are."

"Oh! Nicole and Bailey, they're going to think I ran off with…" she slapped a hand to her mouth and looked up at Tom, hoping he hadn't caught the last part.

"What was that?" he inquired innocently.

"Erm, they're going to think I ran off without them. You know, ditched them for the food or something," she laughed uneasily.

"We wouldn't want them thinking that," he said and extended his arm for her to take. She looked at him in surprise her eyes darting between his face and arm.

"What's the matter? Surely someone of your blood status would be used to a gentlemanly gesture," he stated, curious to see her reaction to his comment about blood status.

"How would you know about my blood status?" she asked slowly.

"I'm a Slytherin, it's practically my job to know," he drawled, giving her a charming smile.

"Oh, Merlin. You're not trying to court me, are you?" she asked, clearly disgusted by the notion.

"What?" he replied, the smile sliding off his face and his arm falling back to his side.

"That's exactly what you're doing, isn't it? You're only being nice to me because of my blood. You know, I'd never thought of it before, but I'm not familiar with the last name Riddle. It's not a wizarding name, is it? What, are you trying to bag a wife with impressive blood to make up for the fact that you're not a Black or a Malfoy?" she inquired, her green eyes flashing in anger.

"What does it matter to you if it's a wizarding name or not? I thought you didn't care about that, isn't that what you Gryffindors pride yourselves on these days?" he spat back. "And why the hell would I sully myself by courting a slag like you?Don't think you're exactly subtle the way you go about with Richards." His last comment flew from his mouth before he could contemplate the damage it could do to his plans.

The sound of her palm against his cheek rang through the night air, but went unacknowledged, their classmates having already entered the castle. Delaney looked at her hand, not sure if she was more shocked by Tom's comments or by the fact that she had just slapped him. She had just slapped a prefect.

"Shit," she muttered. She turned to look at Tom, who was breathing heavily, his blue eyes dark with anger. She could feel his magic crackle in the air around them, and suddenly, she was afraid.

Tom took a step towards her, but she didn't move. He continued to move towards her, a predator stalking its pray, until he was nearly six inches from her. He then grabbed her chin and wrenched her face up to look at him.

"You. Will. Never. Do. That. Again. Do you understand?" he said, teeth bared.

Delaney nodded, staring up at him, her eyes wide as saucers. Tom let go of her face and stalked towards the castle, leaving her standing by herself. He stopped outside the large oak doors to gain his composure and then stepped inside. Delaney shook her head, still shocked by what had just happened. That was not a side of Tom Riddle she had ever seen. She wasn't sure anyone had ever seen that side of him. Yet, somehow, that side of him seemed much more real than the one she normally saw. He was definitely the wolf in sheep's clothing, and Delaney was now fully aware of that. She took a deep breath and headed in to the castle, wondering how much of the sorting she had already missed, and exactly how much explaining she would have to do.


	5. Chapter 5

After taking a few moments to compose herself, Delaney slid into the Great Hall and stealthily made her way to where her two best friends were seated at the Gryffindor table. She then quickly forced a seat between the two who responded with "oofs" and "oys," and waved cheerily at the Gryffindors around her who looked questioningly at her sudden appearance.

"What took you so long?" asked Bailey, as the Sorting Hat moved onto the S's.

"I lost you two in the crowd and made the mistake of thinking you wouldn't go in without me." Delaney replied curtly, hoping to distract from her absence by guilting her friends.

"We thought you had either ditched us for food or Simon," Bailey replied honestly, "but you weren't in here and Simon sat down with the Hufflepuffs shortly after we came in."

"Did you two have a spat?" Nicole inquired, eying the angry Hufflepuff. "He looks rightly miffed, you haven't been off crying have you?"

"No, I don't know what his problem is. He's been acting weird lately, but you can rest assured the only reason I've had to cry recently was Ireland's ghastly performance at the World Cup playoffs." Delaney lied, unsure of how to switch the topic without it going back to where she had been before she joined her friends at the table. Luckily for her, Professor Dumbledore caught their eyes and raised his forefinger to his mouth, ending their conversation for the time.

Delaney took this opportunity to scan the hall for Simon. She quickly found him with his eyes glaring daggers at none other than Tom Riddle. "Is he jealous?" she wondered to herself. "What a tosser. I've never said two words to Riddle prior to today. Why would one conversation with the bloke make him jealous?" At that moment Simon's head turned to catch her staring at him. He scowled at her before turning to watch the rest of the Sorting.

She continued to scan the room and locked eyes with the very boy who was rapidly disrupting her life. His blue eyes were dark and cold, but his face was held in a pleasant countenance, the same one he always seemed to wear. His glance didn't falter, even though she had caught him staring at her. Instead he tilted his head slightly to the side and quirked an eyebrow at her, imitating the look she had given him on the platform. Delaney flushed and dropped her gaze back down to look at the empty golden plate in front of her, unsure of what to make of his response. This was not how someone who moments before had been threatening her should be acting. He wasn't even acting like she had just slapped him, which she certainly had, her hand still stung enough to attest to that.

"I had been rather rude to him," she thought, "And I did slap him. I guess I can't really blame him for snapping, it must be hard to be a half-blood in Slytherin." Delaney flushed with embarrassment at the thought of what her father would say had he known she had just belittled someone for their blood status. "I'll just have to apologize to him," she decided after silently berating herself.

The Sorting Ceremony finished and Headmaster Dippet gave a short speech welcoming the new students, whose eyes became huge when the once empty plates in front of them were suddenly heaped with a variety of food.

"So, where were you?" Nicole questioned while piling potatoes onto her plate.

"I told you, I was looking for you two," Delaney replied as she tried to decide between Shepard's pie and lamb, finally settling for both.

"Right, you said that, but you had plenty of time to realize we weren't out there before you finally showed up here," Nicole pressed.

"I may have bumped into Riddle again," Delaney finally caved, deciding to leave out the part about her slapping him and his reaction, while also deciding to add more potatoes, some green beans, and half a loaf of bread to her plate."

"How on earth do you keep managing to bump into Riddle? I swear you've run into him more today than you have in the last six years," Bailey commented.

"I don't know. It's weird, I just keep bumping into him," she replied.

"That still doesn't explain why it took you so long to get here," Nicole continued, glancing up at Riddle and back to Delaney.

"I don't know what you're trying to get me to admit to," Delaney countered, "there is absolutely nothing between me and Riddle if that's what you think."

"I don't know, Simon seems to keep glaring at the two of you," Nicole countered.

"Yeah, he saw me talk to Riddle and apparently is annoyed by it. I told you, he's been acting weird. Maybe it's his time of the month or something," Delaney shot back, irritated by Nicole's tenacity.

"Guess I don't have to worry about you sneaking out to see him tonight," Bailey jested, easing the growing tension between her two friends.

"No, but you might have to keep an eye out for her and Riddle," Nicole joined in, having found a new way to torment her friend.

"Oh ha. Yeah, no, that's real funny. Just call me Mrs. Riddle," Delaney retorted with a mouth full of potato and lamb.

"What were you two talking about out there, anyway?" Bailey inquired.

Delaney took extra time to chew her food, before deciding it was safe to answer with a minimal "He was just making fun of me for knocking him down and exploding Slughorn's eyebrows and mustache off that one time."

"HA! I had forgotten about that!" Nicole chortled.

"Yeah, well apparently everyone in Slytherin remembers it," pouted Delaney, remembering how embarrassing it was at the time.

Her friends continued to laugh about the potion mishap, seeming to forget all about Riddle for the time being, distracted by memories of a mustacheless Slughorn.

Soon the remaining food disappeared from the plates and the students were all sent off to bed. Delaney faltered at first, wanting to apologize to Riddle as soon as possible, but then she saw Simon standing and glaring. She smiled at him but he only rolled his eyes in response before turning on his heel and marching off with the other Hufflepuffs. She realized there was no feasible way to apologize that night without attracting further attention from her friends, and she didn't want to risk Simon catching her talking to Riddle again before she had a chance to smooth over whatever had upset him so much. Instead she threw her arms around her friends and began the climb to Gryffindor Tower, determined not to let Simon or Riddle ruin her first night back at Hogwarts.


	6. Chapter 6

Tom Riddle paced around the Slytherin common room. It was late and he was alone. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep until he had come to some decision about Delaney Blair. He had no idea where he stood with her and found himself with no clue how to approach her the following day. That was the only thing he knew for sure, that he must find her and speak to her. He couldn't let his rash reaction destroy his chance to lure her to him before he had even begun.

He continued pacing and reflecting, trying to find some clue to work off of. He thought back on their interaction before the Sorting. She had looked so frightened when he had her chin gripped in his hand. He grinned, he liked her that way. He liked the fear he had put into her normally cheeky eyes. That fear had lingered there afterwards, too. He had seen it hiding behind a calm mask during the Sorting Ceremony when she had been looking around the hall. When she caught him watching her, he had seen the apprehension there. It reminded him of the children at the orphanage who he had so easily scared into submission. He hadn't seen a look like that in someone's eyes in a long time. With Dumbledore constantly keeping watch over him he had had to be on his best behavior. He knew better than to risk losing the trust and admiration of his professors and peers this soon in the game. It was so satisfying to see her face shift from arrogance to fear. He wished he could have had more time to appreciate the way the fear had etched itself onto her face.

And yet, she had still come to the ceremony. He had been unsure of whether she would even show up after their encounter. Although, that must be where her Gryffindor 'bravery' had come in – the slap in the face and the balls to show up afterward. Tom laughed. He found it fitting that the heiress of Gryffindor was about to become the heir of Slytherin's pawn.

"People overvalue bravery," he thought, "oh, she's brave alright, there is no doubt about that. But there is something to be said for Slytherin cunning. I'll just have to use her genealogical virtue against her. Oh, she must be brave. Brave and stupid. Judging by my friendly interactions with the Gryffindor prefects during our rounds and the lack of assault from her sour friend, I think it's safe to assume she hasn't told them about our little encounter. Oh, Delaney Blair, what am I going to do with you?"

Tom dropped down onto one of the old green chairs in front of the fireplace, draping one of his long legs over the arm rest while jiggling the other up and down on the ball of his foot. He wrapped his arm around the back of the chair and let his head hang back on the other arm rest, completely at ease for the first time that day. He thought of how she had blushed and lowered her eyes after he had used her own inquisitive look against her during the Sorting. He frowned, she had looked almost ashamed but he couldn't figure out why.

"Maybe it did something for her, being manhandled like that," he smirked, "That could definitely make things interesting. I just need her to keep her mouth shut long enough for me to find her tomorrow. Then I should be able to salvage this situation."

He sighed and swung his body around to a sitting position. "I'll have to wait until breakfast to see how she and her friends react to me before I know for sure if I'm in the clear."

He checked his watched and sighed again before pulling his lanky frame out of the chair and heading to bed.

"I was going to spend tonight reading Abraxus's book. Pity I've spent it thinking about a girl instead. I suppose if I can't get what I want from her I can practice some of the spells from that book on her to make up for my stolen time."


	7. A quick thanks

I just wanted to thank everyone who has followed this story, favorited it, or reviewed it. I'm glad I decided to pick it back up again, your support is really encouraging. I should have the next chapter to you all soon!

Until then,

XX


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